y separately published work icon Under Tropic Skies selected work   short story  
Issue Details: First known date: 1904... 1904 Under Tropic Skies
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

Contents

* Contents derived from the London,
c
England,
c
c
United Kingdom (UK),
c
Western Europe, Europe,
:
George Bell and Sons , 1905 version. Please note that other versions/publications may contain different contents. See the Publication Details.
Alvord's Luck, Louis Becke , single work short story
A supercargo spending a few months at home on his mother's N. S. W. property meets an American sailor prospecting on the beach and caring for his sick mate. The sailor, Alvord, proves to be a man of extraordinary luck.
(p. 1 - 45)
Larsen and the Saw-Fish, Louis Becke , single work short story
A ship's bosun tells of his experience with a sawfish at the mouth of the Macleay River.
(p. 22- - 236)
Gun-Running in the South Seas, Louis Becke , single work short story
Tells of illegal gun-running in the Pacific at a time when the British and Germans were promoting their own interests by supporting warring Samoan factions.
(p. 46 - 61)
The Awful Duel at Utuan, Louis Becke , single work short story
A trader rescues two hundred survivors of the ill-fated French settlement in New Britain, established by the Marquis de Rays and known as Nouvelle France. He insists they live on board their steamer until he can send them to Sydney. When two of the Frenchmen become rivals in love a duel is arranged, with farcical results.
(p. 62 - 73)
'Dulce Est Desipere in Loco, Louis Becke , single work short story
A man, recovering from malaria at a friend's inland property, longs to be by the sea.
(p. 74 - 79)
Olmsted's Adventure, Louis Becke , single work short story
A shipwrecked sailor lives in a New Guinea village for three years. Eventually a ship anchors near the village to carry out repairs. When a young woman from the ship offends the local inhabitants and is taken prisoner, the sailor leads an expedition to rescue her.
(p. 80 - 129)
The Pearlers, Louis Becke , single work short story
A trader sets out on an expedition seeking pearlshell, but his ship runs aground. While fighting off the local inhabitants there are several explosions and the ship is destroyed.
(p. 130 - 136)
The Kidnapping of Sandy Costello, Louis Becke , single work short story
A young boy seeks a place on a 'labour' ship after running away from his brutal father and stepmother. The ship's captain takes the boy on because of his red hair, which he says will attract the islanders and help 'recruit' labourers. However this plan is disrupted with men from an inland village kidnap the boy.
(p. 137 - 166)
'Kusis', Louis Becke , single work short story
Becke describes a fishing expedition with his friend, village headman Kusis, and a party of villagers. Gives detailed descriptions of the island and the villagers' houses.
(p. 167 - 176)
The Traitor, Louis Becke , single work short story
A prospector carrying gold to the coast is saved from his travelling companion's plot to kill him by four Chinese fishermen.
(p. 177 - 187)
'Rima', Louis Becke , single work short story
Tells the story of Rima, a man from Tuvalu, who leads an expedition to destroy a German ship. The ship's captain has allegedly been supplying islanders with firearms and encouraging them to attack British crews.
(p. 188 - 208)
The Supercargo, Louis Becke , single work short story
The narrator, a recruiter for the labour trade in Samoa, writes of his experiences with the notorious slave trader 'Bully' Hayes. Following the wreck of Bully's ship, the Leonora, the narrator spent a year living with the village headman and his family. He describes this time as the happiest months of his life, which ended when he returned to Sydney. The tale appears to be based on Becke's own life although he omits mentioning that he was arrested and returned to Sydney to face trial for piracy.
(p. 209 - 220)
Billy Maclaggan and the Fiji Ram, Louis Becke , single work short story humour
A billygoat, being taken from Samoa to Fiji to fight with a hated businessman's much-feared ram, is trained to attack the businessman instead.
(p. 221 - 228)
The Comrades, Louis Becke , single work short story
Two traders triumph over a rival trader who has attempted to ruin them.
(p. 237 - 250)
Ayesse of Manga Reva, Louis Becke , single work short story
A trader, noted for his refusal to indulge in the dissolute practices of his fellow traders, has amassed a small fortune in pearlshell. But he is betrayed and robbed by his fiancée and a man whom he believed was his friend.
(p. 251 - 265)
The Story of the 'Latella', Louis Becke , single work short story
A ship's mate survives a murderous attempt to steal his ship and her cargo of firearms.
(p. 266 - 275)
Trincomalee, Louis Becke , single work short story
A plantation owner tries to force his only daughter to marry their elderly neighbour in return for financial assistance.
(p. 276 - 287)
Lida, Louis Becke , single work short story
A woman commits murder to save her husband from ruin by his enemy.
(p. 288 - 298)
The Recruiters, Louis Becke , single work short story
A former South Sea labour recruiter relates a story that reveals the methods used by some of the ships' crews to deceive and kidnap Pacific Islanders for plantation labour.
(p. 299 - 312)
X